FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that there is a growing threat of a large-scale Islamic terrorist attack similar to the deadly ISIS-K attack on a concert hall in Moscow in March.
Wray issued the warning during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies yesterday (Tuesday), while he was making the case for the FBI to receive $11.3 billion to combat the growing threats, an increase of more than $600 from last year.
"We’ve seen the threat from foreign terrorists rise to a whole 'nother level after October 7," Wray told the subcommittee members. "Just in the time I’ve been Director, we’ve disrupted multiple terrorist attacks in cities and communities around the country. We need funding to continue protecting America from terrorism."
He added, "There was already a heightened risk of violence in the United States before October 7. Since then, we’ve seen a rogue’s gallery of foreign terrorist organizations call for attacks against Americans and our allies. Given those calls for action, our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home."
"But, now, increasingly concerning is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K[horasan] attack we saw at the Russia Concert Hall in March," he said.
On March 22, terrorists affiliated with ISIS-K attacked Moscow’s Crocus City concert hall, killing 137 people and wounding over 180.